"water"

Franke products were chosen for the modern transformation of offices in Manchester. A range of products were provided, including 7 of the stunning Quadro Miranit washbasins and 16 franke Aqualine C self-closing pillar taps, which are particularly good for water conservation. “Product quality was a huge factor for this project, and Franke’s Miranit washbasins and taps provided a fantastic solution. Franke supplied from stock and all products we’re delivered to site on time. They provided a with a great service and products that will last for years to come!” commented Zuhaib Judge - Building Surveyor.

Franke Water Systems were thrilled to be chosen to provide the complete range of sanitaryware to the Kia Oval at Kennington for their redevelopment project. Products such as their composite Miranit washtroughs, stainless steel urinals, washbasins and WC’s plus complementing grab rails were all part of the installation. Martin Cosgrove from Mectric Solutions commented “Product quality was a huge factor in deciding on which supplier to choose for such a prestigious project and with a brand name like Franke, we knew we would get the best quality that would last for years to come, and still look good too!"

The new £75 million Murray Royal Hospital, Perth was officially opened by Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond last year. The hospital provides state-of-the-art mental healthcare for adults from across Tayside. Franke supplied all manner of janitorial and healthcare washroom products to the project. Specification was exacting to ensure long and efficient product life and savings in water and energy use. Products from Franke Washroom Systems have included; an array of differing formats of HTM63 stainless steels sinks and worktops, disposal and janitorial units.

In the summer of 2007 the country witnessed extensive flooding with areas in England experiencing “over two months rainfall in just 14 hours.” Loss of water and electricity supply was experienced with thousands of homes. Providing protection against a 1 in 1000 year flood event involved building over 1 kilometer of reinforced concrete and sheet piled walls. As well as protecting the site from future flooding, the team at RHI Industrials worked in partnership with Lochrin Bain to ensure the security fencing system was fully integrated with the substations new flood defences.

Castle Building Services, specified bespoke urinals from specialist stainless from Franke Sissons. Franke products all comply with CE Mark standards, WRAS and BMA water saving standards too, all products are guaranteed to perform for decades. Alan Castleton, Managing Director of Castle Building Services explains “The refurbishment of the washroom is a prestigious contract for us so we obviously wanted to deliver an outstanding job with products that will perform for many years. Franke has a long and impressive track record with high quality stainless steel and of course they are local too”.

This was a relatively small installation of under 100 sq metres of asbestos roof coating and metal gutter lining. The asbestos cement roof was first cleaned using a closed box pressure washer, with all waste water being filtered to 2 microns. The cleaned roof was coated using Liquasil's BBA Approved asbestos roof coating system, Asbestoseal. The metal gutter was cleaned and thn treated with SWT (Surface and wet tolerant) corrosion primer. Joints were treated with Non-Sag Sealer and the gutter lined with Liquasil One to provide a seamless lining.

The existing factory finish to this metal roof was degraded and failing in multiple places. The roof was cleaned and all existing GRP roof lights were replaced. Cut edge corrosion & spot rust was treated using Liquasil corrosion primer. An initial coat of Metalseal 20 was roller applied to all corrosion treated areas, followed by a single coat of Metalseal 20, spray applied to the entire roof area. The end result looks like a new roof and will easily provide 20 years protective, water resistant finish to this once poor roof.

The demand for an energy-efficient hot water distribution system was met by a single-pipe system with 850m of RAYCHEM HWAT-R self-regulating heating cables, managed by nine RAYCHEM HWAT-ECO smart controllers that interface seamlessly with the BMS. Eliminating the need for the secondary pipework of a conventional recirculation system saved space and achieved cost savings of between five and ten percent in material and installation time. Pipe freeze protection was also provided by RAYCHEM WinterGard self-regulating cables, supported by an AT-TS-13 surface-sensing electronic thermostat.

A straightforward hardwearing concrete seal was required at the entrance which would withstand heavy footfall and provide a safe finish. Resuseal WB Clear is a water-based epoxy applied at around 40 microns per coat. This is formulated to penetrate and case harden a concrete surface giving it a much harder wearing surface which is less likely to crumble or degrade. As a clear coat the finish is a semi industrial type look which is often used in retail outlets and commercial buildings. This product is used throughout industry where the principal requirement is to dustproof a surface.

Stoneworld’s involvement in this spectacular landscaping project from its early stages, to its fabulous completion have helped create a stunning garden at this luxury hillside home.Stoneworld products used here include Moleanos limestone pool copings, Raj Sandstone paving, Purbeck walling, Extra Thick Raj Sandstone wall copings. Plus every part of this project features our ability to create bespoke stonework in our masonry factory, eg digital templating for precision water jet cutting of pool copings, terrace copings and steps

Island Rest, in the Isle of Wight, is designed to be a contemporary family escape offering unique views across the Solent – a 20-mile stretch of water, while equipping occupants with everyday functionality. There are many layers to Island Rest which enable the building to blend into and celebrate its beautiful environment. Glazing is a key part of this - Hi-Finity is utilised to create a variety of features, from full-height windows which frame the spectacular views, through to large sliding doors which open up living spaces onto a courtyard and landscaped gardens.

The extensive use of wood cladding & decking were key elements of LSI architects’ design. However, given that ‘The Haven’ is in a flood zone, surrounded on three sides by water & constantly exposed to a high moisture content in the air, LSI needed to find a wood that they could be confident would deliver durability, dimensional stability & aesthetics. The glue laminated Accoya wood for the curved rear screen was manufactured by Newnham & Abel Ltd & hand finished with a protective merbau-coloured coating from WoodGuard by Guard Industrie. The same finish was factory applied to the cladding.

This long run of railings brought with it a number of manufacturing challenges and techniques. They needed to be curved in profile so they form a quayside post, curving and leaning inwards so they do not make a 'natural ladder' beside the water. The panels themselves are manufactured in mild steel, finished galvanised and then painted in satin finished graphite grey. The top rails are of a contrasting polished finished grade 316 stainless steel, finished satin brushed. The run of railings has a combination of straight and curved panels, meaning each individual horizontal infill bar needed to be curved individually.

The final phase of the £500m redevelopment of Kings Cross has been completed with the creation of a 75,000 sq ft square in front of the station.The square has granite benches with inset panels of high quality stainless steel grating supplied by Lang+Fulton, stunning lighting, trees and an area dedicated to art.The 11×66/25×2 heel-proof grating panels for the six separate seating areas were shaped to accommodate the up-lighters, the planting and adjacent watering points and were supplied in stainless steel grade AISI-316L with a satin finish.

Silverlakes eco village in Dorset is a new build venture where the client wanted to achieve maximum sustainability.The houses, boat houses, garages and also communal areas such as the leisure centre required green roofs and M-Tray® was chosen due to its ease of transport and installation, and its square modular nature. Pre-grown, healthy sedum plants inside the plastic trays were laid onto the flat roofs across the village, providing an attractive dressing and improving storm water attenuation, thermal insulation and a magnet for wildlife.

THE PROJECT The Stephen A Schwarzman Centre is a new state-of-the-art performing arts and exhibition development that will house the University of Oxford’s Humanities department. The architect, Hopkins, is well known for designing environmentally efficient buildings, and the main contractor Laing O'Rourke has a wealth of experience of building large complex structures. Fosroc was invited to provide a full waterproofing system for a two-level basement due to their technical expertise, customer care, and proven products. Three forms of waterproofing were proposed; pre-applied membrane, waterproof concrete and a cavity drain system. The project also included a complex detail where the new basement needed to punch through the secant wall into an adjacent basement. THE SOLUTION Fosroc entered into an early design development phase with Laing O'Rourke to progress the waterproofing design and overcome some of the particularly challenging aspects of the scheme. Design meetings were held to address these issues in advance of the scheme going to site. The primary protection proposed for the base was the robust Type A Proofex Engage pre-applied fully bonded membrane. Its unique mesh system allows a full bond to concrete and prevents water tracking between the concrete and membrane. Type B watertight concrete containing Supercast WCP – an integral hydrophobic pore-blocking admixture was used as secondary protection for the base and primary protection for the walls. Secondary protection for the walls was provided by the Type C Proofex Cavitydrain drained cavity system, that channels water ingress into the basement drainage system. Laing O’Rourke then appointed Fosroc’s in-house design service WDS to complete the design with the required professional indemnity insurance cover. WDS has delivered a fully detailed coordinated set of design drawings to detail the waterproofing installation, helping Laing O'Rourke to complete to the very highest standard. THE BENEFITS Fosroc were able to calculate approximate quantities for the scheme, including all ancillary items. This, coupled with a planned project programme enabled the supply of materials to be accurately scheduled, avoiding delays and improving the level of cost certainty for the client. By using the three types of protection, the basement of the four-storey academic building is afforded the maximum level of long-term protection against water ingress. The installation team have been very satisfied with the design provided by WDS, and the products and service received from Fosroc throughout the installation.

The Green Roofs Consultancy report looked to the provision of Green Bio diverse roof to address the need to encourage additional species. The ABG Green Bio diverse Roof System includes a mixture of plug planted sedum, cuttings and seeded annual and perennial wildflowers. ABG Roofdrain was used as a reservoir and drainage base layer to optimise water retention and prevent ponding. Special provisions were made to create hibernicula for local endangered species. The roof will benefit the building by providing additional insulation and reducing noise pollution.The roofs substrate filters out dust and pollutants helping improve the environment nearby

Aquatics centre of Stratford, London, designed by architect Zaha Hadid Its original architectural wave made this place one of the most visible for tourists in London. The aquatics center will be used for swimming, diving and synchronized swimming and for the Water-polo competitions. The center can host more than 17500 people. It will replace the swimming pools of Crystal Palace National Sport Centre located in the south-east of London, and will become swimming-center of London. The Aquatic center ceiling is composed of 138 petals of Barrisol acoustic Lighting, using the Barrisol Star rail system. Architect : Zaha Hadid

Station Square Parade, located next to Colchester North Station is undergoing a substantial conversion from a large office building to 67 one and two bedroom apartments set around a terraced courtyard. Buzon UK have been commissioned to supply and install the DPH pedestal system to support 20mm Rucker Rowe porcelain paving to create an external courtyard and private balconies for many of the apartments. The DPH pedestal system offers excellent water control for raised external floors as the system allows for simple, fast removal of rainwater via access cavity and is fully adjustable from 17 to 1070mm.

A Midlands-based housing association turned to Crown Trade Fastflow to deliver a splash of colour, with a low odour application and fast-drying times for the comfort and convenience of residents. Lyng Community Association, a not-for-profit organisation, brought in Crown Paints to specify the pioneering water-based system for the redecoration of corridors in three blocks of flats in West Bromwich. Doors, window sills and skirting boards were decorated with Crown Trade Fastflow Quick Dry Gloss, over Crown Trade Fastflow Quick Dry Primer Undercoat. The work was carried out by Hankinson Painting Contractors from their West Bromwich site.

Crown Trade has extended its Clean Extreme range to offer specifiers a trio of high performance products to help combat the common problems of dirt, mould and bacteria. The water-based range offers three quick drying and low odour solutions to creating clean and hygienic surfaces- Clean Extreme Anti-Bacterial Scrubbable Matt, Clean Extreme Stain Resistant Scrubbable Matt and Clean Extreme Mould Inhibiting Scrubbable Matt. The full Clean Extreme range is also available in a high performance, stain-resistant, durable and washable Acrylic Eggshell mid sheen finish.

Geberit’s Sovent fitting, used for the first time on an English building. A revolutionary system, the Geberit Sovent negates the need for two stack drainage, streamlining systems for tall-buildings of this nature. In addition to Sovent, Geberit Silent-db20, a waste water pipe with built in sound insulation, was installed to ensure peace and quiet for the hotel’s guests, Geberit Mapress press-fit pipe system provides general plumbing and Geberit HDPE; a long-lasting pipe with low environmental impact; delivers above-ground drainage. Plumbing systems were specified and installed by Sharpe Mechanical Services.

The new Ardley EfW Plant, including a 12m basement built over an Artesian Well, presented a host of construction challenges. Due to the extreme water pressure created by the Artesian Well, as well as ammonium salts in the ground, Fosroc worked closely with Tata Projects specifying a solution using Proofex Engage to provide a watertight, chemically resistant barrier, with Supercast SW20 in the construction joints to reinforce the floor to wall joint. Fosroc provided a ‘total solution’ package to ensure Tata Projects could feel confident with the proposed specification, from basement waterproofing, to grouting crane bases, flooring and sealants.

The construction company wanted a strong aluminium profile that provides a simple, safe secure edge for steps covered in ceramic tiles. The flange sits underneath the tile and the top section protects the riser tile and prevents water ingress into the joint gap. The top section provides a perfect step edge with a grooved profile face for extra grip and has a generous 10-12mm deep front face to highlight the step edge from the bottom of the steps. Contractors decided Genesis NLM123 would fit perfectly and have since ordered 303 linea meters to be installed in Fragatta Tower, Colombia.

To operate at optimum capacity, the Ricoh Arena required a floor access solution to reach under floor services carrying water, drainage, electricity and data to internal and external leisure amenities. Staff at the arena also needed to carry out regular checks on under soil heating, sprinkler systems and floodlighting. Howe Green’s 7500 Series floor access covers were selected to provide safe and easy access to the concealed services. Fitted quickly and unobtrusively with the Terrazzo flooring used throughout the stadium complex, the covers are double-sealed to meet the highest standards of hygiene and security.

79 of Howe Green’s 7500 Series aluminium access covers were specified for Eco-Friendly primary school, St Bernadette’s in Antonshill. Council architects required a solution to access essential services housed in raised flooring including the school’s sprinkler network, hot and cold water supplies and electric and data cabling. The covers were installed by A. Andrews and Sons to cover a continuous run of 75 metres of floor space with additional multipart units also fitted onto adjoining legs. The access covers were designed to be in-filled with industrial grade carpet to match the surrounding area.

The unrivalled durability of Johnstone’s Trade’s Endura Super Durable Matt has been put through its paces at the £27 million Trinity Academy in Halifax.With thousands of pupils attending the school, the need for a paint that would withstand the rigours of heavy traffic was paramount so Johnstone’s Endura Super Durable Matt was duly specified for its outstanding durability and aesthetic properties. Johnstone’s Water-Based Aqua Gloss system was used for the interior woodwork throughout the Academy after becoming the natural successor to solvent-based trim paints, which have been impacted by legislation in recent years.

Our Lady Star of the Sea is a historically significant 20th Century building designed by Guiseppe Rinvolucri. Time and the elements have caused so much damage that this Grade II Listed building could no longer serve as a house of prayer and worship The products used were Restoration Plaster White which cures to a bright white finish and "Restoration Plaster Coat", which creates a smoother but still breathable finish. Koster Polysil TG 500 a special salt blocking silicate polymer primer and Koster NB1 Grey, a waterproof sealing slurry that is effective against negative side water pressure.

To ensure these new homes both are energy efficient and warm, the project team sought to surpass the Building Regulations. This led to the specification of Kingspan Kooltherm K106 Cavity Board, which boasts a thermal conductivity of just 0.18 W/m.K across all available board thicknesses. In addition to its outstanding thermal performance, Kingspan Kooltherm K106 Cavity Board also features a water–tight, vapour–open polypropylene fleece outer facing which protects against moisture penetration. As a result, it can be installed with a void of just 10 mm, limiting the thickness of the external walls.

The National Grid Site on the Isle of Grain is a very sensitive environmental area, from the site liquefied pressurised gas and electricity is distributed to the Southern UK, France and Belgium. Site required a sewage plant able to treat raw sewage to 15:15:10 standard. Due to the high water table, plant had to be installed above ground. Discharge from the sewage plant was directly into the Thames/Medway estuary. The Marsh UP was installed replacing the existing sewage plant that failed consent standards. The plant has performed better than the 15:15:10 standard set by the EA.

Design consultants AECOM delivered efficient hot water distribution using 800m of RAYCHEM HWAT-M self-regulating cables, to provide a single-pipe system throughout the building. Its compact design, eliminated the need for recirculation pipes, thus enabling the system to be installed in restricted spaces. Pipe freeze protection was achieved using 300m of RAYCHEM WinterGard self-regulating cables. Snow and ice prevention on the car park access ramp was provided by 1200 metres of RAYCHEM EM2-XR selfregulating cable controlled by a VIA-DU-20 multi-sensor control unit.

Metrotile Lightweight Steel Roofing now adorns the rooftop of the Bryn Bach Country Park visitor centre near Tredegar, South Wales. Installed to replace the previous leaking so-called ‘traditional’ material roof, that was allowing water ingress in the cafeteria area, the new Metrotile roof has given the facility a new lease of life and an attractive makeover, in time for the busy summer season. Some 2,600 of Metrotile’s vandal proof Slate 900 profile, each covering almost half a square metre but weighing just 4.6kg, now cover the 1,300 square metres roof of the visitor centre.

An urban regeneration project in Longford is the latest of a series of outstanding bridge projects to use Neaco’s Neadek aluminium decking. Almost 20m long and 4.7m wide at its widest point, the Camlin River Bridge is a footbridge featuring a unique curved ‘bow’ design by Kenny Lyons architects. Neatdek features a contact area of 74% on the surface yet drains water efficiently and its swage-locked construction enables high structural efficiency. The system has an anti-slip surface for increased safety and aluminium has an A1 Fire Rating – the highest achievable score for non-combustibility.

Single-pipe hot water distribution systems were designed for the new acute inpatient hospital in Wakefield and new diagnostic and treatment centre in Pontefract. 25km of RAYCHEM HWAT-M self-regulating heating cables was used, supported by RAYCHEM HWAT-ECO controllers. The single-pipe design and simplicity of the RAYCHEM installation dramatically eased the modular fabrication process. Fully traced and insulated pipe modules were assembled off-site and delivered to meet strict schedules for connection. Pipe freeze protection for external pipework was provided by some 10 km of RAYCHEM WinterGard self-regulating cables.

A single-pipe hot water system based has been installed with 1.2km of RAYCHEM HWAT-R self-regulating heating system supported by 13 RAYCHEM HWAT-ECO controllers. As the system uses half the pipework of a conventional recirculation system, on-site installation time was cut dramatically and this was enhanced further by use of the RayClic connection systems. It also meant that space savings could be made in walls and ceiling voids. The system is low-maintenance, a critical factor due to the sensitive nature of this building and can now be very easily extended during further planned developments.

Location: LondonMain Contractor: Berkeley GroupLondon Dock Block F is situated in the heart of Wapping, London, with a magnificent choreographed central water feature and the finest selection of high-quality new homes.The building, which will provide a total of 360 new apartments, is split into blocks at different heights to a maximum of 16 storeys, including communal roof gardens, courtyards and green roofs.The OBEX Class B Interface Sealing System and the Class A1 Breather Membrane System were specified in order to achieve full regulatory compliance and meet the correct performance standards.Quality Apartments: 360